Jet Airways' global media pitch ends, Starcom wins the account

Previously, Vizeum handled the account in India.

Starcom, part of Starcom MediaVest Group, has won the global media mandate of Jet Airways, under Etihad Airways Partner (EAP). This also includes Etihad Airways, Alitalia and airberlin. The account was awarded following a joint tender sent to several leading agency networks.

Starcom was selected by EAP to deliver scaled benefits by aligning media spending power across key markets and to provide added value and centralised strategic advice and planning to meet the unique commercial needs of the airline grouping.

Shane O'Hare, Etihad Airways' senior vice president, marketing, says "Starcom demonstrated that they fully understand the emerging media scene which has digital media at its core. Their highly experienced team, resources, planning tools and buying clout in all the key EAP markets gave them a clear edge in the tender."

Starcom will service the EAP airlines in key hubs in the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Italy and India, with central coordination from their EMEA head office in London.

Matt Blackborn, president, investment and diversification at Starcom MediaVest Group, states, "We are the foremost innovators in the precision media space and very much welcome this exciting challenge of working with the Etihad Airways Partner airlines, across all their communication platforms. This is a unique client brief and relationship as it brings together multiple brands from the same industry, and is ground-breaking in the agency world. We look forward to servicing Etihad Airways Partners through a unified approach that integrates connections, content, data and technology."

Gaurang Shetty, senior vice president - commercial at Jet Airways, says, "Starcom showed their ability to add value to our media investments and demonstrated their thorough understanding of the evolving media scenario. Starcom's solution was backed with data, insights and relevance to the brand's core values. We look forward to partnering with Starcom to develop synergies along with other Eithad Airways Partner airlines."